Apple might be planning a cheaper HomePod with Beats branding: Report

Apple might be preparing to launch a cheaper version of its HomePod smart speaker. The HomePod was introduced in June last year at Apple's annual worldwide developers conference to challenge Amazon and Google's offerings. However, the smart ...

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Apple jumped on the smart speaker bandwagon not too long ago with the HomePod. It costs $350 and is quite a bit expensive than the other smart speakers but the company has sought to align the product with the Sonos’ of the world and not the Amazon Echos, in that it’s charging a premium for a better audio experience. However, if a new report is to be believed, the company reportedly wants to cater to customers who don’t want to spend as much on a speaker by launching a cheaper, Beats-branded HomePod speaker.

First it was a cheaper HomePod, now it's said to be a Beats speaker costing $199, so which one is it? Possibly both. Apple could be working on a new smart speaker priced at US$199 under its Beats brand, according to a new report from Sina.

It's no secret that Apple's HomePod isn't exactly a runaway hit. Despite strong reviews praising the device's incredible sound quality, consumers in recent months have gravitated more towards rival offerings from the likes of Amazon and Google. In fact, a recent report from Strategy Analytics reveals that Apple's smart speaker during the recent March quarter only accounted for a paltry 6% of the global smart speaker market. In stark contrast, Amazon's Echo devices garnered an impressive 81.8% share.

There are rumblings from one of Apple's suppliers that the company is supposedly planning to release a new HomePod model with Beats branding attached to it. You might recall that Apple acquired Beats for a whopping $3.2 billion just over four years ago, though for the most part is hasn't really integrated the popular brand into its other products

Apple's HomePod smart speaker hasn't seen quite the craze as the company would have liked. Launched in January, the HomePod is Apple's bid to take on smart speakers from Amazon and Google. Despite the HomePod's superior audio quality, sales have ...

Apple jumped on the smart speaker market a while back with the HomePod. It costs $350 making it quite a bit more expensive than other smart speakers but the company is charging a premium for a better audio experience. But, if a new report is to be believed, the company wants to cater to customers

According to Strategy Analytics, of the 9.2 million smart speakers shipped in the first quarter, the Apple HomePod accounted for only 600,000 of those units. That gave Apple 6% of the market from January through March, behind Amazon's 43.6% and Google's 26.5%. There are a few reasons for this. Apple is late to the market, and at $349, the device is not cheap. In addition, Siri's capabilities pale in comparison to Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.

Rumors indicate Apple’s working on a cheaper version of the HomePod. And now there’s a new wrinkle: this device might be sold under the Beats brand name. This would let the HomePod name stand as a premier product, while still allowing Apple to make a more affordable smartspeaker. Beats Electronics is a division of Apple